ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund

Alexandrians are known for their generosity. Now is the time for all of us to come together to support our neighbors affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Thanks to that generosity, as of April 30, 2020, the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund has raised more than $777,000 and made more than $619,000 in grants to local nonprofits.

ACT for Alexandria and the City of Alexandria recognize that COVID-19 and the necessary public health measures to address it will affect our community in many ways – in the weeks ahead and the months to come. There are the life-threatening implications for older Alexandrians, and it will disrupt the normal operations of everyone in our community. Alexandria’s nonprofit organizations are the fabric of our social safety net and essential partners during this public health crisis. As nonprofit organizations respond, they may become financially vulnerable themselves as they scramble to cover the cost of expanding their services or suspend programs and events that generate revenue.

As the weeks go on, the hardship on individuals and families will intensify. Many already on the financial edge may be pushed into crisis. The demand for emergency health services, food, rent, utility, and childcare assistance as well as mental health services is anticipated. This is when we will need our service providers the most.

Our community needs to ACT NOW to ensure these organizations can help us through this time and in the future.

You can help by donating to the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund.

ACT and the City of Alexandria established the ACT Now Covid-19 Response Fund to provide emergency funding to nonprofits that are delivering the critical services and programs that are needed by Alexandrians right now.

The City of Alexandria will match donations, up to $100,000, to support the needs of nonprofit organizations experiencing an increase in demand for services as they support Alexandrians affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Amazon has donated $1 million to kick-start emergency COVID-19 response funds that will immediately benefit the four largest Washington D.C. region community foundations that are working to support vulnerable populations impacted amid the coronavirus outbreak. The ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund received $200,000 thanks to this region-wide investment. You can learn more about Amazon’s donation and support for our community here.

The spirit of collective action is core to Alexandria. Now is the time for all of us to come together to support those in need and to contribute to the vitality and health of our community. Will you join us in making a donation to the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund? Please know a donation of any size will make a difference!

Grant Update as of May 21, 2020. Please note the temporary changes in grantmaking, effective May 26, 2020.

As the weeks progress, our understanding of the pandemic’s impact on Alexandrians evolves. We are seeing that the financial and health challenges brought on by COVID-19 are not equally distributed. People of color, immigrants and low-income families and individuals are experiencing more severe hardships. Based on feedback we received from our community survey and conversations, we will be re-examining the funding priorities of the ACT Now Fund and taking a pause on accepting new applications.

The last opportunity to apply for funding under the current priorities will be Tuesday, May 26 at 5pm. We will pause grantmaking until mid-June as we refine the process and fundraise to replenish the Fund. To access the grant application, click here.

The ACT Now Fund was created to respond to the needs of nonprofit organizations providing critical services to Alexandrians in response to a significant community crisis, in this case, the COVID-19 outbreak. We recognize that nonprofit organizations responding to this unanticipated crisis are seeing an increase in the demand for services and need financial resources to support the community and address these unexpected needs.

In 2019, the ACT Now Fund was mobilized during the partial Federal Government Shutdown. The Fund provided $60,000 in emergency grant funding to help meet short-term unanticipated essential needs affecting community members such as emergency financial assistance, housing assistance, food and medical/health assistance, childcare assistance, among others. For more information, click here.

Questions

General questions and inquiries about the Fund can be directed to Brandi Yee, Chief Program Officer,